SEDSConnective recently celebrated the charity's 5th anniversary and became a member of Wakehurst as a stepping-stone for the charity’s network.

Monday, 31 July 2023

SEDSConnective, a UK neurodivergent charity focusing on symptomatic hypermobility conditions, including Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, announced today that the charity has become a member of Wakehurst’s newly launched Community Access Scheme. Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, is home to 535 acres of biodiverse landscapes and Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, in the heart of the Sussex High Weald. SEDSConnective is part of Wakehurst’s community engagement programme, as it is the aim of the charity to support on continued accessibility developments at Wakehurst. The gardens are hosting a series of summer celebrations, including a summer party on the 18 August 2023 to introduce local community members to the space, and SEDSConnective will be part of this journey.

Jane Green MBE, FCCT and Chair and Founder of SEDSConnective, comments: “SEDSConnective recently celebrated the charity's 5th anniversary and became a member of Wakehurst as a stepping-stone for the charity’s network. Our members and volunteers will now get to enjoy the community engagement programme that SEDSConnective will be able to access via Wakehurst. Our charity’s main objective is to raise awareness for the wellbeing of the neurodivergent community and to improve accessibility requirements where possible. SEDSConnective is as much here to learn as we are to help the Sussex community where we are based.”

Harri Oliver, Participation Manager at Wakehurst, comments: “We are delighted that SEDSConnective has become a member of Wakehurst’s Community Access Scheme. The wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature is well documented and we look forward to nurturing our connection with SEDSConnective so we can jointly improve awareness for neurodivergence and ensure accessibility for all at Wakehurst.”

To continue with the mission, SEDSConnective’s Chair and Founder, Jane Green MBE, has been invited to join the following industry speaking session to develop further awareness for the neurodivergent community and health mobility:

• Global Learning Conference 2023
https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/events/2023-global-learning-co...
5.40pm on 5 August 2023: Connecting the Dots between Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and EDS / HSD

About SEDSConnective

SEDSConnective is a voluntary and user-led charity based in Sussex with global reach providing voice and support for people with symptomatic hypermobility or, if diagnosed, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) (all classifications) and neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and Tourette’s +). The organisation provides support, specialist activities, advocacy and more.

For further information on the charity, please visit the website www.sedsconnective.org, or social media on Twitter (www.twitter.com/SEDSConnective), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/sedsconnective/), or FaceBook (www.facebook.com/SEDSConnective/).

For media queries regarding SEDSConnective, please contact: sonal@SEDSConnective.org or +447376973688.

About Wakehurst

Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.

The National Trust was bequeathed the Mansion and grounds of Wakehurst in 1963. It was then entrusted to us here at Kew in 1965, and we now work in partnership with the National Trust to care for our collections and heritage areas.

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.

RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed 10,000 visitors with £1 tickets.

At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.

For media queries regarding Wakehurst, please contact wakehurstpr@kew.org.